Match-box holder



May 26, 1925. Q 1,538,978

I R. G. FLEMING MATCH BOX HOLDER- Fil ed April 17 1924 s Fl; 5. I

17 I64 16 7-5 15 'n'm aftozueq Patented May 26, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT'OFFICE.

ROBERT G. FLEMING, on NEWARK, NEN JnRsnY, assrenonfro TnnsnoKAnoR MANUFACTURING COMPANY Inc, or BLOOMFIELD, new JERSEY,

MATCH-BOX HOLDER.

Application filed. April 17, 1924. Serial No. 707,078. v

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, Ronnn'r G. FLEMING, citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Match-Box Holders, of which the tollowingis a speci fication. l

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in match box holders and pertains more especially to a holder of the ype employed "in connection with ash stands, receivers, or trays, the former of the character disclosed in my Patent No. 1,485,346, issued February 26, 192 1.

The primary object of the invention is to provide means for attaching thematch box to a supporting strip, or handle which eliminates the drilling of holes and which does not change the handle :trom a plain handle capable of being used without the match box holder.

A further object of the invention is to provide an economical form of holder which may be easily and quickly attached to and detached from the handle and which is firmly and rigidly held in position without tendency to work loose.

The invention still further aims to provide means for attaching the holder to the handle so as to not mar or injure the finish of the latter.

The invention also aims to provide means for securing the holder in position which functions in a dual capacity, namely to secure the holder in position, and to also eftect elevation of the match box slide to present the matches at the desired height to allow of easy and convenient removal of the matches, and also to allow the inner slide of the box to be discarded if desired and the matches held in the outer shell.

The invention has still further and other objects which will be later set forth and manifested in the course otthe following description.

In the drawings: Figurel, is a side elevation 01' the invention attached to the tray of an ash stand of the type disclosed in mysaid tray being shown in section;

Figure 2, is anenlarged section on line 01"? Figure 1, and

Figure 3, is a section on line 3-3 oi? Figure 2;

patent, the

In proceeding in accordance with the present invention a supporting strip, as handle 1 is employed which is preferably made of a strip of flat metal bent into somewhat inverted U-form. The ends of the strip are reduced to form attaching bolts 2, the latter being threaded to receive nuts 3. The bolts are passed through openings pro-- vided therefor in the ash tray or receiver 4 and the shoulders 5 resultant from the formation of the bolts seated on the upper face oithe tray or receiver, whereupon the nuts are applied to the bolts and impinged against washers 6, the latter in turn being impinged against the under face of the rim or" the tray. 1

The match box holder includes a fume of general U-form having the vertical edges 7 of its sides 8 turned inwardly so as to hold the. match boxagainstlateral movement. The bottom or cross-piece 9 of the holder is formed with a pair of spaced openings 10 to receive therethrongh the jaws 11 carried by the vertical arms 12, of an inverted U-shaped clamping member. The head 13 of the clamping member is of hollow rectangular formation having sides 14 and ends 15 and is of such area or size so as to readily engage within the outer shell of the match box and to cause the inner slide or shell containing the matches to be'projected above the upper ends of the holder sides 8.

As depicted in Figure 3 of the drawings, the arms 12 of the clamping member are attenuated as compared to. the sides 14 and are formed integral with the latter. entire clamping member may be and preterably is formed integral bv die-pressing or striking. The top of the clamping member is formed witha punched-out opening forming a collar 16 which aii'o-rds a bore ot'substantial length, the bore being threaded to receive a vertical screw 17. The screw 17 bearsor seats or abuts, at its lower end against the C1OSS-Pl6C8, or bottom 9 of the holder, the bot-tom 9hr turn seating on the upper tace oi": the handle 1.

The clamping member is formed of material having spring properties so that the jaws 11 nlay be sprung into engagen'ient with the opposite side edges oi the handle.

In applying the holder to the handle, the screw 17 is loosened and the bottom or cross-piece l) engaged with the upper face The of thehandle, whereupon the jaws 11 are sprunginto engagement with the opposite side edges of the handle. The screw is then turned downwardly and bearing against the holder bottom 9, causes the clamping member and therewith its jaws 11 to move vertically relative to the cross-piece, drawing the jaws toward each other into tight engagement with the sideedges of the handle, or supporting strip 1, and with the under face of the latter. It will be seen that the edges of the openings 10 in the cross-piece 9, cooperate with the exterior of the curved faces of the clamping jaws 11, to cause the jaws to move toward each other to tightly grip the supporting strip 1, when the screw 17 is turned in one direction. Vhen the screw is turned in the opposite direction the jaws 11 move away from each other to loosen their clamping effect. 'In this wise the curved faces of the jaws act as cams, and the edges of the openings 10 as cam followers cooperating therewith. It will be noted that the lower end of the screw bears directly on and against the bottom 9 of the holder not only causing the lattter to be firmly engaged with the upper side of the handle, but protecting the finish of the handle so as to not mar or scratch same. Consequently when the holder is removed, the appearance of the handle is not marred. The absence of holes in or other modification of the strip, results in the plain form inherent to the handle being-presented upon removal of the holder in cases where the latter is desirably. omitted.

While the invention is illustrated in connection with a tray or receiver of the podestal type of ash stand still it will be ob vious that same is equally applicable to ash trays or receivers of the type which have closed bottoms and are customarily used on tables and the like. i

The top of the clamping member afi'ords a bottom or seat for the matches in event ofthe inner shell or slide being discarded, so that the clamping member thus functions in a dual manner, namely as means of attachment of the holder to the handle and as a direct support for the matches in the instance of discarding of the inner shell of the box, or as a support for the inner shell containing the matches in the instance of the inner shell being retained.

Further, the invention is susceptible of other changes and modifications as fall withing the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a handle, a substantially U-shaped match box holder having its bottom formed to seat on the upper face of the handle, said bottom having a pair of spaced openings, therein, a clamping member having a hollow substantially rectangular head having depending sides and ends formed to engage in the outer slide of a match box, the sides of said head having depending attenuated arms which project through the respective openings of the holder bottom and having their lower ends free and formed with jaws for engagement with the opposite side edges of the handle, and a screw threaded through the head of the clamping member and bearing against the holder bottom to draw the jaws in tight engagement with the side and under face of the handle and to force the holder bottom against the upper face of the handle.

2. In combination with a handle, a substantially U-shaped match box holder hav ing its bottom formed to seat on the upper face of the handle, said bottom having a pair of spaced openings therein, a clamping member having a head formed to engage in the outer slide of a match box, depending arms carried by the head and projecting through the respective openings in the holder bottom and having jaws for engagement with the opposite side edges of the handle, and a screw threaded through the head of the clamping member and bearing against the holder bottom to draw the jaws in engagement with the sides and under face of the handle and to force the holder bottom against the upper face of the handle.

3. A device for attaching match box holders to supports without perforation of the latter, including in combination with a support having opposed edges and a substantially U-shaped holder'seated at itsbase on the support and having openings in its said base, a member in the holder having a top spaced above the base of the holder and having depending. parts extend-ing through the base openings and having their lower ends engaged over and beneath the respective opposed edges of the support, and means engaging the top of said member and the base of the holder for forcing the holder base against the support and for simultaneously drawing the said lower ends of the depending parts of the member towardeach other and against said opposed support edges.

i. A device for attaching match box holders to supports without perforation of the latter, including in combination with a support having opposed edges and a substantially U-shaped holder seated at its base on the support and having openings in its said base, a member in the holder having a top spaced above the base of the holder and having depending parts'extending through the base openings and having their lower ends engaged over and beneath the respective opposed edges of the support, and a screw threaded through the top of said member and impinged against the base of the holder for forcing the holder base against the support and for simultaneously drawing the said lower ends of the depending parts of the member toward each other and against the respective opposed support edges.

5. A device for attaching match box holders to supports without perforation of the latter, including in combination with a support having opposed edges and a match box holder seated on the support, means in the holder having parts engaged with said opposed edges of the support, and means for forcing the holder against thet support and for simultaneously causing said parts to be engaged with and against the respective opposite edges of the support.

6. A device for attaching match box holders to supports Without perforation of the latter, including in combination with a support having opposed edges and a match box iolder seated on the support, means in the holder having parts engaged with said opposed edges of the support and a screw for forcing the holder against the support and for sin'iultaneously causing said parts to be engaged with and against the respective opposite. edges of the support.

7. A device for attaching match box holders to supports without perforation of the latter including in combination with a sup- )ort having opposite edges, and a match box bolder seated thereon, means engaging the respective opposite edges of the support and also the holder, and means to clamp said first named means to and against said re spective opposite edges of the support.

8. In combination, a supporting strip and a holder for matches, match boxes and the like, said holder comprising a cross-piece adapted to rest on said strip, a member adapted to move relative to said cross-piece having clampingjaws adapted to move toward and from each other to cooperate with said strip, and means on said member and cross-piece, respectively, whereby relative movement between said member and crosspiece is adapted to tighten and to loosen the clamping elfect of said jaws on said supporting strip.

9. In combination, a supporting strip and a holder for matches, match boxes and the like, said holder comprising a U-shaped frame, adapted to enclose the matches, match boxes and the like, the cross-piece of said frame adapted to reston said strip, a support for the matches, match boxes, and the like adapted to move relative to said cross-piece having clamping jaws adapted to move toward and from each other to cooperate with said strip, and means on said frame and support, respectively, whereby relative movement between said frame and support is adapted to tighten and to loosen the clamping effect of said jaws on said supporting strip.

10. In combination, a supporting strip and a holder for matches, match boxes and the like, said holder comprising a U-shaped frame, adapted to enclose the matches, match boxes and the like, the cross-piece of said frame adapted to rest on said strip, a support for the matches, match boxes, and the like adapted to move relative to said cross-piece having clamping jaws adapted to move toward andfrom each other to cooperate with said strip, a cam and a cooper-- ative cam follower on said frame and match support, respectively, and a screw threaded in said match box support and abutting said cross-piece, adapted to effect relative movement between said frame and match box support and cause relative movement be tween said cam and follower to tighten and loosen the clamping efi ect of said jaws on said supporting strip.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ROBERT s. FLEMING. 

